looked around at the space that was as dreary and morose as the bedroom she had been sleeping in and as out-of-date as the other rooms she had seen. Furnished with massive pieces upholstered in dark colors, it did not encourage anyone to stop and stay a while. It smelled musty, as if no one had set foot in it for a long while. If it were hers, she would have thrown open the windows and let fresh air sweep the scent of spring into the room.
She returned to the foyer and entered the room on the other side. The dining room was as antiquated and gloomy as the living room, with a table large enough to seat a formal meal. A sideboard stood against one wall with an ornate silver tea service resting on it. Hanging just above the sideboard was a painting of a couple in formal attire. Marnie studied it, thinking the people looked familiar.
Of course! The woman is Ruth when she was younger, and the man looks like David. It must be a portrait of David’s parents.
She surveyed the room and noticed an arched doorway on the back wall that opened into a hall. As she reached it, David entered through a set of swinging doors. He had a muffin in one hand and a cup in the other.
“Oh, hi,” he said, as he swallowed a mouthful. “I was just leaving for the office.”
The words were said in a pleasant tone, not like the one he had been using.
“What office? That is, what do you do?”
He looked stunned. “Oh, uh, the family owns Barrett Manufacturing. I’m the president and CEO.”
“That’s your last name then? Barrett? And mine, too?”
“Yes. Barrett. Our name is Barrett.”
“I thought so. Some woman, a pretty blonde, called me Mrs. Barrett. I hadn’t thought about it until now.”
“That was Celeste, I imagine. She was helping with Jonathan while Mrs. Tucker was away.”
“Who is Mrs. Tucker?”
“Jonathan’s nanny.” He waved the cup in the air as he spoke. “Look, I need to get to the office now, but I’ll try to get away early today. We can talk when I get home this afternoon. Doctor Means said to answer your questions. Maybe something I tell you will strike a chord and help you to start remembering again. It really is very important you recall the time just before you disappeared.”
“How long was I gone?”
His eyes widened as he stared at her. “Wow! I didn’t realize you didn’t even know that. Almost a month.”
“That long?”
“Yes. Well, we’ll talk this afternoon. I promise.”
She watched as he went down the hall a few steps.
“Look, my mother’s suite is down this hall. If you’re wandering around today, it’s probably best you don’t go down there. I’ll show you the rooms in that part of the house later.”
“OK.”
“On the other side of the living room are the library and some other rooms. And there’s a garden room at the end of that hall. You can go that way.”
“I will. Thank you. I’m just going to get some breakfast now.”
“Mrs. Gravy . . . er, Mrs. Grady will fix you up. Bye.”
“Bye.”
She stared at his tall figure as he strode down the hallway. This man is my husband. I must have held him in my arms, loved him, kissed him. Yet he seems like a stranger to me. I’m ready for this empty feeling to go away.
Chapter 9
Marnie watched David disappear through a door in the hallway. She marveled at the fact that his presence always evoked emotion, even though she could not remember their life together. Their relationship puzzled her. There was no doubt he was angry with her, and before today, he did not believe that she had lost her memory. Even then, his presence made her tingle from her scalp to her toes. She was ever-conscious of his presence when they were in the same room and was mesmerized when his eyes were fastened on her. Though she had been hurt by his disbelief, she still caught herself trying to remember what it must have been like to have him kiss her, hold her, make love to her.
Laying those thoughts aside, she pushed open the swinging door and entered the kitchen. As out-of-date as the rest of the house was, the kitchen was up-to-date and well organized. Two walls held modern white cabinets with granite countertops. A six-burner range stood ready for use, and a large granite-topped island with stools on two sides filled the center of the